The Ultimate Guide To Career Prospect In Entertainment Media Studies

World of entertainment is ever-changing with technological innovation. It is likely to see new career avenues opening up with ushering of the new digital era. So, it is essential to know the market and also the carrier opportunities available in this market.

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Entertainment Media can be called an exclusive part of mass media studies. It specializes not only in film making, cinematography, video editing, but also in Immersive media technologies, which have introduced a new era in the entertainment industry. Artificial Intelligence (AI), Augmented Reality (AR) and Virtual Reality (VR) are such technological innovation which has made entertainment media more immersive in real sense. Experience enrichment is the ultimate purpose of the utilization of this technology in entertainment content.

Reality Check:

Now to any students, the obvious question that hits their mind is, where is the job market for this industry? Let me tell you the job market is vast and is ever-increasing in the coming years, even if the world economy is affected by the corona crisis. The post-Covid pandemic world will be more open to the digital sphere, and therefore, jobs will change their nature. More online media-oriented jobs are to rule the market than offline jobs. Over-the-top (OTT) services, for example, Netflix, youtube, Amazon Prime, Hoichoi, Hotstar, are expanding their service market in India. In one recent report of KPMG on India Analysis 2019, they have mentioned that the digital industry has a growth rate of 43% in FY19 (the financial year 2019). It means more jobs are to generate in this market.

Post Pandemic Trends of Entertainment Media:

i) OTT

With this new development in the digital sphere turning up movie viewing experience is also changing. The movie viewing experience has varied from 4hours long feature film to small originals produced in OTT platforms. People like this new original content of the OTT service platform, which they can consume at their flexible time. It becomes their regular day to day habit. Moreover, the cost of production of a short film is far less than full-length feature films. Many upcoming directors are getting the ready stage to showcase their talent. Original creative content often bought by giant banners OTT service providers.

ii) Future of Cinema: Consumer demands meeting technological innovation

Change in cinema viewing experience means creative video technology innovation. Virtual Reality (VR) and 360-degree production are becoming popular, and its effect is at

the production level of film making in respect to set designing and post-production.

VR requires a different type of camera (small form factors camera) that can capture high-quality images. It should have the ability to shoot in a production-ready format with a low rate of compression. In the post-production stage, VR requires independent workflow, which allows smoother footage. HDR (high dynamic range) is a technology to improve quality related to color. It creates a good contrast ratio and brightness. This technology is highly demanding in on-set production. Technological innovation has created a system which requires different peoples working in a different system for the same project done at the same time is essential.

In future affordable technology will encourage more and more filmmakers opting for it. Affordability is for both audience and filmmakers. To date, it is evident that high budget films only opting for this high-end technology due to the cost factor. Technology is slowly getting democratized, which encouraged more and more filmmakers to embrace this for film making. In the future, with more affordable technological access, filmmakers can create better content meant for all types of devices. The audience wants to enjoy the same quality of experience from theatre to tab to iPhone in viewing movies.

Post-COVID, the cinema viewing pattern of the audience, will change with more shifting to online viewing of the film. Some movies which are supposed to get released in big theatre are now getting released in OTT platform like Netflix, Amazon Prime, etc. during the pandemic time. So it can be seen a new normal started growing new opportunities springing up from it.

iii) The convergence of Linear TV with internet video: Third big shift

The first shift was terrestrial to satellite, the second shift was analog to digital, and the third shift is from linear viewing to internet video. TV viewing not restricted to a TV screen anyone can view the TV from any device provided it has internet. Gone are the days when you switch on the TV set to view the TV at a particular time and place. Modern-day TV viewing possible even when you are traveling. This shift in television viewing over the internet has urged the television industry to change the delivery of TV content and advertisement.

Streaming television: It is the digital distribution of television content like TV shows through streaming media using the internet. New streaming TV and online video viewing have increased with the emergence of Youtube, Netflix.

Live TV: Live streaming of television programs such as Live news, live sports.

On-Demand TV: Television program webcast or streamed on request of viewers.

A creative agency will likely work for creating successful video content for a multi-channel network produced by distributors and programmers. Thereby delivering over the multi-channel network will blur the line between traditional linear TV format and internet video.

iv) The convergence of linear radio to streaming radio

Radio broadcasting has to face stiff completion from big companies like Google, Spotify, Apple music. There is a ‘generation tear-off’ happening for radio audiences who are aging, and the younger customer segment is losing importance. The new generation is more interested in new media for receiving that service. Another typical application for radio is in the car.

A new wave of development has touched radio broadcasting service too. Radio broadcasters have used the internet in two ways: firstly, in internal production, workflow purpose, secondly, as a distribution platform. Streaming is an access technology used to broadcast radio through different digital devices as well as networks. At present, radio is available in digital format as well as analog format that cater to the audience’s need to media routine.

The convergence results in synergies of media, telecommunication, and computing, thereby creating a new one by adding value to the existing one. The intersection of radio broadcasting technology with streaming medium creates a new digital sphere where content reconceptualizes for every device.

Establishing ‘New Normal’ through social media usage

Therefore with the increasing accessibility of the internet, the total active user of social media was 330 million in 2019 and is likely to increase to 448 million by 2023. ASSOCHAM has noted in its’ report that social media platform like Facebook, Whatsapp, Instagram has changed the medium consumption habit of the younger generation. The print media is also evolving to digital storytelling to get immediate emotion of viewers. Facebook live, newsrooms are getting more popular among newsmakers too. During the time of Covid-19, pandemic people are more dependent on social media. Social media is used by most of the media outlet to nudge people for it. In this period, people have developed a regular habit of consuming social media, so every company is trying to use it to reach its’ audience. It is more likely that the audience or users will become more ardent consumers of social media in the post-pandemic period. They will develop social media as their primary media consumption habit. Therefore establishes a new normal situation in the post-pandemic phase and media industry like any other industry is also adapting to this change.

Career Opportunity:

Keeping in mind the changes in the media market, a new set of courses is required for the students of media studies discipline to become future-ready for the media industry. There are few universities in India which have designed syllabus to tailor fit in industry necessity. Adamas University, Kolkata, is such a pioneer university that provides a master’s degree (M.A.) in entertainment media. The eligibility is any graduate, and aimed at making graduating students of any discipline (who wants to join the media industry) future-ready for the media market.

Now, these are the market thought of new entertainment media sectors. Following are the list of some interesting new career opportunity in the field of entertainment media:

Director (Film & TV Careers), Director of Photography (Film & TV Careers), Cinematographer (Film & TV Careers), Art Department Coordinator (Film & TV Careers), Art Director (Film & TV Careers), Assistant Art Director (Film & TV Careers), Assistant Dialogue Editor (Film & TV Careers), Assistant Script Supervisor (Film & TV Careers), Business Manager (Film & TV Careers), Consumer Researcher (Film & TV Careers), Copyist (Film & TV Careers), Copywriter (Film & TV Careers), Executive Producer (TV) (Film & TV Careers), Film Archivist (Film & TV Careers)

Director of Publicity (Music Careers), Assistant Studio Manager (Music Careers),

Box Office Manager (Live Event Careers), Jingle Writer (Music Careers), Director (Live Event Careers), Radio Jockey (Radio careers), Executive producer (Radio careers), Station Head (Radio Careers).

[Author’s Bio- Ms. Ruma Saha is an Assistant Professor in the department of Journalism and Mass Communication under School of Media, Communication and Fashion at Adamas University, Kolkata. Previously she used to teach in college. She has been into journalism teaching for more than five years.]

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